Michael Auslin, The Wall Street Journal | February 10, 2012
 US military budget cuts will hinder Obama’s new strategic focus on Asia. ++ American allies worry that a ‘leaner’ military will weaken US resolve in the region at the exact same time China is growing more assertive. ++ They also fear that US focus on Asia might not outlast the Obama presidency. ++ Countries such as Japan, South Korea, and Australia have improved their military capabilities, but their abilities are still limited. ++ Obama’s strategic shift is the correct move, but American allies in the region must share more of the burden.
Nicholas Noe, The New York Times | February 9, 2012
 The violence in Syria could result in a full-blown civil war. ++ The controlled collapse of the Syrian regime is not possible considering that the army, the elites, and other segments of society still support the government. ++ With support from Iran and Hezbollah, Assad has the means to prolong the conflict. ++ A drawn-out struggle might ignite sectarian violence in the region. ++ The West must make a deal with Assad in order to stabilize the region and afterwards work to gradually open up Syria’s political system.
Conor Friedersdorf, The Atlantic | February 8, 2012
 Traditional warfare is being replaced by intelligence agency operated drone strikes in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia. ++ Americans won’t see a debate about the war on terror because the details are secret. ++ Conservative estimates suggest that hundreds of civilians have been killed in Pakistan. ++ Secrecy is beneficial in international relations but citizens can no longer decide whether their country’s foreign policy is in line with its interests. ++ The American people are complicit in policies that they would not accept if they knew about them.
Mustafa Akyol, The Daily Star | February 7, 2012
 If Turkey is to become a good model for Muslim nations it must synthesize liberal democracy with its traditional religious values. ++ “Post-Islamism” does not imply a detachment from Islamic identity. ++ The AKP has matched its pro-Palestinian position with peaceful support for a two-state solution. ++ Increasing authoritarianism in the AKP emerges from the usual problems of Turkish politics. ++ The AKP’s transformation to post-Islamism is meaningful to inexperienced Arab Islamists now entering an age of power.
John Kampfner, Index on Censorship | February 6, 2012
 Beijing is dismissive of Western interests in the UN, prioritizing stability, economic benefit and non-interference. ++ Russia is Syria’s largest arms supplier and is attempting to demonstrate an alternative to Western “belligerence”. ++ Domestically, Putin fears bloodshed if public resistance does not subside when he returns to power. ++ The West can do little in Syria since Assad has been emboldened by China and Russia. ++ Liberal interventionism needs to be more consistently defined to strengthen complaints about the brutality of dictators.
Christian Mölling, Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik | February 2012
Eduardo Levy-Yeyati & Luciano Cohan, Brookings | January 2012
Karl-Heinz Kamp, NATO Defense College | January 2012
Stormy-Annika Mildner & Claudia Schmucker, AICGS | January 2012
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Dr. Arunas Molis has been a member of atlantic-community.org since 2009 and works as an associated professor at Vytautas Magnus University and …
Shada Islam is the head of the Asia Programme at Friends of Europe - a Brussels-based European think-tank promoting discussion and debate on the …
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A fear-based policy by the US and its allies toward Iran is not likely to solve the nuclear standoff peacefully any time soon. Instead, a strategy of engagement that takes the psychological predispositions of the actors seriously is the only way to achieve this goal.
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